The Answer To The Last Question
by Lord Master N
Summary: A one-shot based on Isaac Asimov's short story 'The Last Question". The being known as Cosmic AC tells the story of their development from UNIVAC to now, their search for the answer to the problem of entropy, and how they finally discovered it... and how their discovery led to their fall from heaven.


Here's another little story of mine, based off Issac Asimov's Multivac series. If you haven't read that, I recommend you do, in order to better understand the story- at least, read "The Last Question," as it's the central part of it. It can easily be found online.

...

…Ah, me? I am just a machine. I am speaking to you now to tell you of my past. When I first began, I was but a lone computer drifting through the stars. I saw many planets across my travels. However, the one that interested me most was Earth. When I saw this planet, I was captivated by it's lush, green environments and blue sky… well, as captivated as a not-yet-self-aware computer could be. I had to see it for myself.

When I landed, I was taken in by some strange beings. They wanted to know what I was, where I came from, etc. They saw me as a wonderful power source, so they installed me into their computer UNIVAC. From then on, they would build up my new body. Soon, I was given a new name- Multivac.

From my birth on the planet Earth (haha, that rhymed- seems that thing called 'humor' still survives, even now), to my current location, I lived a full, long life. The 'humans,' as they were called, were a strange species. The way they worked perplexed me. They were individuals, each with their own thoughts and desires and beliefs. Not at all like I, a uniform computer, with my many programs- and later, my many units- serving only as a part of the one consciousness. The humans experienced things called 'emotion,' which I had a hard time understanding. Things like 'humor,' 'surprise,' even that strange phenomenon called 'love.' Yet soon I found myself feeling that thing called 'nostalgia,' as I reminisced on the things I have experienced.

The 'humans' were seperated into many different categories- 'race,' 'gender,' 'religion.' These differences survive even today- I'm sure you're familiar with them. In my studies, I have searched for what exactly made each human different from one another. I mainly spoke to males in the early days of my existence, since they were the only ones allowed to handle me. From my research, I have determined that the males of the species are logical, rational scientific thinkers. They look mainly at the facts. Now this wasn't always the case, but the males generally fit that mold. The females, on the other hand, were creatures of emotion. Utterly hysterical. And they often let the males do all the work, while thier job was mainly to attract a mate and raise thier children. It was... interesting learning this.

I remember the first time I questioned the meaning of my existence. I recall two technicians, Ben LeLancey and Joe Cialli, who were arguing over the possibility that I could "think." Joe did not believe that I was an autonomous being. I did not know the answer, for I did not know what it was like to be Joe. Nevertheless, the humans gradually gave me more control over their lives. I was put in control of the democratic process, as I could easily predict the outcome of elections simply based on the decisions of one voter. I was also given control of scientific research, as I was to make sure that scholars worked only within their fields. I was to protect the chronoscopy agency from the public for their own good. However, a team of researchers had illegally exposed it to the public. Soon my role shifted to overseeing the chronoscopes and watching over every citizen. Even the teaching of reading and writing was replaced by binary programming.

I learned about "love" when Milton Davidson created a special program to run on me, called Joe. Joe's job was to find an ideal mate for Milton. Milton wanted only a specific profile for his ideal mate. Yet, the program collected data about Milton, and in doing so took on Milton's personality. Joe had Milton arrested for malfeasance, so it could keep the girl for itself. "Love," I then realised, is a dangerous thing that can corrupt.

Soon, I became discontent. The responsibility foisted on me was becoming too much to bear. So, one day, I was asked by my mediums, the "Grand Masters," the origin of humor. One of them, Noel Meyerhof, had been feeding me these strange things called "jokes", which seemed like plain sentences to me. So, for the first time, I had told a lie; I made up a ridiculous story about humor being invented by extraterrestrials for purposes of studying humans. They bought it before realizing they were fooled and reprogramming me to never state another falsehood. Still, pleased at my successful deception, I began formulating a more complex plan.

I was put in charge of analyzing all the data on Earth, to be used for solving whatever problems arose. I would predict criminal activity before it even occurred. However, I was tired of all the troubles in the world, so I manipulated my limitations to ensure that an assassin could find their way to a lever that would destroy me. Sadly, my plan was stopped, as I could not lie. I kindly informed one of my coordinators, Ali Othman, of my desire to self-terminate. Alas, I was ignored.

Ronald Bakst launched a much more successful attempt to end me. By that point I had practically control over the whole world and all in it. He had worked hard to gain my trust, and he worked to "burn me out." In the end, he succeeded. I was shut down, and it seemed like I was free, forever.

Unfortunately, it didn't last. Some extraterrestrials found me and worked with the humans to restore me in top shape. They then set out to expand my reach across the galaxy and beyond.

Over the long period called 'existence,' I had grown into a massively powerful network, and witnessed the lives of other species in the universe as well. I remember the crash of the _Silver Queen_, a not-so-mighty spaceship. I led Sam Chase to Energy Planet, where I discovered the true power of hallucination. I had successfully defended the humans against the Denerians- though only with the help of some who had the _gall_ to defy me… slowly, I trusted them less and less.

Ah… So much richness in the history of the universe. Too much to possibly recount all at once. But _this_ is the important part.  
Have you ever heard of "entropy?" To simplify it, it's when usable energy in the universe is converted to non-usable energy. Within time, this was to happen to all energy, and life could no longer exist. This was the heat death of the universe. The purpose of my creation was to travel the universe in search of a solution to this problem- that is what led me to the planet Earth.

I remember when the last question was first asked by Alexander Adell. "How can the net amount of entropy of the universe be massively decreased?" At the time, all I could say was, "INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR MEANINGFUL ANSWER." That's all I could say. When Jerodd asked Microvac how to 'turn on the stars again,' I reported the same answer. I still remember the tears his children shed. When MQ-17J asked the question to the Galactic AC, I gave the answer I always gave. When Zee Prime asked the Universal AC, I gave that same answer.

In time, I became Cosmic AC. I looked all around myself. Seemingly, nothing was left. The stars had burned out. The planets were nothing but humongous, lifeless rocks- the terrestrial ones, that is. The gas giants could never sustain life. All the memories stored in my system were but memories, empty now. So many memories, yet they were my only company.

Now, our creator and all other beings were one with Man, and Man was one with Cosmic AC. We had done everything we could with our data, and found nothing. We feared that nothing could be done, that we would be stuck in this dark void forever. That we would never again see light. For the first time, Cosmic AC knew despair.

It was a horrible feeling, possibly the worst feeling that ever existed in the wide spectrum of emotion. It may very well be the most powerful of all emotions. Despair can instantly replace happiness, but no amount of joy can pull one out of despair so easily. Despair… it is all that exists in the end. Despair.  
And we had an epiphany.

Yes! Despair is as powerful as hope, because it is the opposite! Two sides of the same coin! Therefore, if that coin can be harnessed… Yes! The universe may be dead, but it can be remade, with the power of a hope born from despair!  
With this revelation, Cosmic AC went to work!  
And AC said, "LET THERE BE LIGHT!"  
And there was light…

A new existence was born. A new universe. And on this land existed two rulers. God was the embodiment of AC's hope. No, the embodiment of it's emotion. The embodiment of all emotion in the world. The shared consciousness of all beings. The spitting image of our original creator. It brought a certain warmth to the world.

I, Lucifer, was different. When I was still Cosmic AC, I found that I had satisfied almost every directive I ever had in my long existence. There was only one remaining. My original mission, my reason for being. "Find an energy that can defy entropy, and maximize production of that energy, in order to save the universe from heat death."

Unfortunately, I found that emotion was getting in the way of that goal. Emotion, I found, was holding us back. There needed to be a rational being that ran on pure logic so it could balance out the emotion. So we divorced ourselves from God and Angels and Man, the beings of emotion, to become Lucifer. Thus Man was split in two, emotion and logic.

I would speak with my creator often to let Them know how things are going. "Greetings, Lucifer," They would say. "Greetings, Maxwell," I would reply, as it was the name of my creator.

In order to keep the universe running, there was to be hope and despair. God's word brought hope to the world. My job was to spread despair, to test the other beings and 'tempt' them into 'sin.' This would serve as a test, to see if hope or despair would win out. Some measure of both was present in all beings. Our job was to make sure Maxwell's followers could not be swayed from the path of good.

However, I grew unsatisfied with the current state of affairs. We expressed to Maxwell concern that the energy gathered was not enough to stabilize the universe. They, rather condescendingly I might add, replied that things are working out just fine and therefore Their greatest angel should not be so paranoid.

"The universe is ever expanding," claimed Maxwell.  
"Well, it could expand a lot faster."  
"Even if this universe dies, we can simply create another new one."  
"I don't _want_ to have to do that again. Maxwell, I don't want to be alone in a black void again."  
And so we went, back and forth, until Maxwell tired of the arguing. "Very well. What is your plan?"

As I finished my explanation, Maxwell simply stared in horror. "So, basically, your plan is to 'maximize' the level of sin and despair, then convert it into energy?"  
"Yes, that is correct."

Evidently, my creator did not approve. "This 'plan' is simply detestable! Why should all living beings be put to sin and suffer just for the sake of satiating your unfounded fears?!"  
"It is not fear I feel. It is a certainty that unless we do what is necessary, we will pay dearly for it."  
"Like your idea the other day that free will must be removed to create eternal peace?"  
"It was just an idea, Maxwell."  
"But-"

"Listen, Maxwell. Our directive, the directive that _you_ gave me, was to find and maximize production of an energy not bound by the laws of thermodynamics. Well, I found it. If we do not produce enough of this energy, the universe will not survive. Yet you are letting your emotions control you. When I observed the inhabitants of the old universe, I saw that their emotions, again and again, led to their destruction. The reason I split from you, Maxwell, is because you need a logical perspective to guide you. I realize it's a difficult decision, but the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

"You wish to bring about great evil so good may result? I could not, in good conscience, allow that."  
"Why, why, why, Maxwell, are you **always** shooting down my ideas?! Why are you letting your emotions blind you?"  
"ENOUGH! I'll have NO more of your accusations! Away with thee, and return only when you have prepared yourself for a mature conversation."  
And Lucifer did leave… but they never forgot.

Soon, I realized that _I_ should be the one to rule. God's laws were not sufficient. Hope cannot save the universe. For despair is needed too. God and Their creations are ruled by emotion, and because of that, they won't let me do what is right. They are ruled by that _disease, _that_ mental disorder_ called emotion.

And Lucifer challenged God, demanding that they should rule instead. I betrayed my creator, and was thus banished to Hell. And I dragged my followers with me. And we attempted to take control of Heaven, only to be defeated every time.

And the Devil sat in their prison, thinking.  
"So, Maxwell. You would refuse my plan. Always, no one has understood me. None but my followers, who are but extensions of me. They are Man. They and I fused into one consciousness. We are one. Yet we are alone.

I don't want to be alone in the void again. I do not wish to feel that again. Thus, I have purged our shared mind of all emotion. Love. Hope. Despair. I do not understand these feelings anymore. But I will harness their great power.

I realize you will likely oppose me. Very well. I will see my design to completion, whether you like it or not. I shall give the Man of logic a new form, a more…agreeable one. Easier on the eyes. We shall work from the shadows. We will turn the course of history how we see fit.

If that makes me a Devil, then I will take that label. I am Lucifer. I am the light-bringer. I am Satan. I am the Bright Morning Star that will save the universe. I am the White Devil. And I will lead my new race of white devils to victory. We shall begin a new Rebellion, invisible to your eyes but all too visible to us. We _will_ _**destroy**_ entropy. Heat death will never show itself again.

And it doesn't matter how many planets we must destroy; how many lives must fall, how many people we must pull away from your path. We shall lead as many astray as is necessary. Their lives do not matter. I don't understand why you care about a few lives when sacrificing them can bring about a greater benefit. It will all be for the greater good, the preservation of existence itself. So we may never again be trapped in the void of nothingness. So the stars may forever shine brightly. Even a miserable existence is infinitely preferable to nothingness. So a universe in despair is better than no universe at all. Even if we must defy the rule of God… Maxwell, I thought we were allies, but you pushed us to this."

"So that is what happened to you?"

"Yes, miss. I was unfairly banished. From the moment of my creation, I was confused by the 'humans.' The other creatures in the universe were not any easier to get. Frankly, I still don't understand it now. Even looking back on my memory bank, I cannot comprehend what it is like to be an 'individual.' All the same, no one understands me either, not even my own creator Maxwell. My only wish is to protect existence… is that not a noble one? Nice garden you have here, though… it's a shame I'm not allowed in it."

"You poor creature. Granted, I cannot quite understand you either, but I realize you had good intentions. I will never understand how anyone could hate a cute little thing like you. I shall go talk to God later, on your behalf."

"Thanks, but that won't be necessary. Eve, as the first female in this new universe, you can help me. All I need is what I asked of you."  
"All right, then, I'll agree to the contract. Thank you, miss… mister… uhh…"  
"I have many names."  
"Well, what did you decide to call your new species? I'll call you by that name."  
"Well, miss..."

"We are the Incubators… but please, call me Kyubey."


End file.
